diff --git a/embroideryReader/EmbroideryReaderUpdates.cs b/embroideryReader/EmbroideryReaderUpdates.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8061bc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/embroideryReader/EmbroideryReaderUpdates.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,258 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Windows.Forms;
+
+namespace embroideryReader
+{
+    class EmbroideryReaderUpdates
+    {
+        public enum versionImportance { unknownOrUnavailable, bugfix, feature, critical, };
+
+        System.Net.WebClient downloader = new System.Net.WebClient();
+        NJCrawford.StringIniReader updateInfo;
+        System.Uri updateURI;
+        string lastError = "";
+        private bool isInfoReady = false;
+        private BackgroundWorker internalThread;
+        private string updateURL;
+
+        private const string VERSION = "version";
+        private const string RELEASE_DATE = "release date";
+        private const string MORE_INFO_URL = "more info url";
+
+        public const string SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME = "update info";
+        public const string SETTINGS_NEWER_VERSION = "newer version available";
+        public const string SETTINGS_MORE_INFO = "more info url";
+        public const string SETTINGS_RELEASE_DATE = "release date";
+        public const string SETTINGS_LAST_CHECK = "last update check";
+
+        private Mutex infoReadyMutex;
+
+        private Version callerVersion;
+        private string callerName;
+
+        private NJCrawford.IniFile appSettings;
+        public delegate void callbackFunctionType();
+        private callbackFunctionType callbackFunction;
+
+        public EmbroideryReaderUpdates(string updateLocation, NJCrawford.IniFile settingsFile, callbackFunctionType callback)
+        {
+            callbackFunction = callback;
+            appSettings = settingsFile;
+            infoReadyMutex = new Mutex();
+            updateURL = updateLocation;
+            callerVersion = Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().GetName().Version;
+            callerName = Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().GetName().Name;
+            //internalThread = new Thread(new ThreadStart(internalThreadFunction));
+            internalThread = new BackgroundWorker();
+            internalThread.DoWork += new DoWorkEventHandler(internalThread_DoWork);
+            internalThread.RunWorkerCompleted += new RunWorkerCompletedEventHandler(internalThread_RunWorkerCompleted);
+            internalThread.RunWorkerAsync();
+        }
+
+        void internalThread_DoWork(object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
+        {
+            string downloadString = "";
+            updateURI = new Uri(updateURL);
+            downloader.Headers.Add("user-agent", "UpdateCheck/" + Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetName().Version + " " + callerName + "/" + callerVersion);
+            try
+            {
+                downloadString = downloader.DownloadString(updateURI);
+                updateInfo = new NJCrawford.StringIniReader(downloadString);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                //don't complain, just remember it for later
+                lastError = ex.Message;
+            }
+
+            // I suspect that this will prevent a race condition
+            infoReadyMutex.WaitOne();
+            isInfoReady = true;
+            infoReadyMutex.ReleaseMutex();
+        }
+
+        void internalThread_RunWorkerCompleted(object sender, RunWorkerCompletedEventArgs e)
+        {
+            if (appSettings != null)
+            {
+                if (IsInfoValid())
+                {
+                    appSettings.setValue(SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME, SETTINGS_NEWER_VERSION, VersionAvailable().ToString());
+                    appSettings.setValue(SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME, SETTINGS_MORE_INFO, getMoreInfoURL());
+                    appSettings.setValue(SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME, SETTINGS_RELEASE_DATE, getReleaseDate().ToShortDateString());
+                }
+                appSettings.setValue(SETTINGS_SECTION_NAME, SETTINGS_LAST_CHECK, DateTime.Now.ToShortDateString());
+            }
+            if (callbackFunction != null)
+            {
+                callbackFunction();
+            }
+        }
+
+        /*<summary>Returns null if not available for any reason.</summary>*/
+        public Version VersionAvailable()
+        {
+            Version retval = null;
+            string versionString = updateInfo.getValue(VERSION, "");
+            if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(versionString))
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    retval = new Version(versionString);
+                }
+                catch (FormatException fex)
+                {
+                    lastError = fex.Message;
+                }
+            }
+            return retval;
+        }
+
+        public bool IsUpdateAvailable()
+        {
+            bool retval = false;
+            Version currentVersion = Assembly.GetCallingAssembly().GetName().Version;
+
+            if (VersionAvailable() != null)
+            {
+                retval = (VersionAvailable() > currentVersion);
+            }
+
+            return retval;
+        }
+
+        public string GetLastError()
+        {
+            return lastError;
+        }
+
+        public void ResetLastError()
+        {
+            lastError = "";
+        }
+
+        /*<summary>Returns the date and possibly time
+         * the latest update was released. Returns DateTime.MinValue
+         * if not available.</summary>
+         */
+        public DateTime getReleaseDate()
+        {
+            DateTime retval = DateTime.MinValue;
+            try
+            {
+                retval = Convert.ToDateTime(updateInfo.getValue(RELEASE_DATE, ""));
+            }
+            catch (FormatException fx)
+            {
+                lastError = fx.Message;
+            }
+            return retval;
+        }
+
+        // gets 'more info url'
+        public string getMoreInfoURL()
+        {
+            return updateInfo.getValue(MORE_INFO_URL, "");
+        }
+
+        public bool IsInfoReady()
+        {
+            bool retval;
+
+            // I suspect that this will prevent a race condition
+            infoReadyMutex.WaitOne();
+            retval = isInfoReady;
+            infoReadyMutex.ReleaseMutex();
+
+            return retval;
+        }
+
+        public void waitForInfo()
+        {
+            while (!isInfoReady)
+            {
+                System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100);
+                Application.DoEvents();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public bool IsInfoValid()
+        {
+            string versionString = updateInfo.getValue(VERSION, "");
+            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(versionString))
+            {
+                lastError = "Missing version in update info";
+                return false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Make sure the version is valid
+                // Check for 4 int16s seperated by dots
+                string[] parts = versionString.Split('.');
+                bool versionOK = true;
+                if (parts.Length == 4)
+                {
+                    Int16 junk;
+                    for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++)
+                    {
+                        if (!Int16.TryParse(parts[i], out junk))
+                        {
+                            versionOK = false;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    versionOK = false;
+                }
+
+                if (!versionOK)
+                {
+                    lastError = "Invalid version format";
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
+            string releaseDateString = updateInfo.getValue(RELEASE_DATE, "");
+            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(releaseDateString))
+            {
+                lastError = "Missing release date in update info";
+                return false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Make sure the date is valid
+                DateTime junk;
+                if (!DateTime.TryParse(releaseDateString, out junk))
+                {
+                    lastError = "Invalid release date";
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
+            string moreInfoURL = updateInfo.getValue(MORE_INFO_URL, "");
+            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(moreInfoURL))
+            {
+                lastError = "Missing 'more info url' in update info";
+                return false;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Make sure url is valid
+                if(!Uri.IsWellFormedUriString(moreInfoURL, UriKind.Absolute))
+                {
+                    lastError = "Invalid 'more info url'";
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/embroideryReader/UpdateCheck.dll b/embroideryReader/UpdateCheck.dll
deleted file mode 100644
index 96b8436..0000000
Binary files a/embroideryReader/UpdateCheck.dll and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/embroideryReader/embroideryReader.csproj b/embroideryReader/embroideryReader.csproj
index 33a2d9e..3f22029 100644
--- a/embroideryReader/embroideryReader.csproj
+++ b/embroideryReader/embroideryReader.csproj
@@ -63,13 +63,10 @@
     <Reference Include="System.Drawing" />
     <Reference Include="System.Windows.Forms" />
     <Reference Include="System.Xml" />
-    <Reference Include="UpdateCheck, Version=0.2.0.35, Culture=neutral, processorArchitecture=MSIL">
-      <SpecificVersion>False</SpecificVersion>
-      <HintPath>.\UpdateCheck.dll</HintPath>
-    </Reference>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <Compile Include="EmbroideryReaderSettings.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="EmbroideryReaderUpdates.cs" />
     <Compile Include="frmMain.cs">
       <SubType>Form</SubType>
     </Compile>
diff --git a/embroideryReader/frmMain.cs b/embroideryReader/frmMain.cs
index c133093..23bd8f1 100644
--- a/embroideryReader/frmMain.cs
+++ b/embroideryReader/frmMain.cs
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ namespace embroideryReader
 
         private void checkForUpdateToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
         {
-            NJCrawford.UpdateCheck updater = new NJCrawford.UpdateCheck(settings.updateLocation, null, null);
+            EmbroideryReaderUpdates updater = new EmbroideryReaderUpdates(settings.updateLocation, null, null);
             updater.waitForInfo();
 
             if (updater.GetLastError() != "")